Fall 2021 Update
October 2021
Greetings volunteers! Hope you all had a great summer. Welcome to fall! Here is what is happening at the Ecumenical Food Pantry (EFP):
New Mission Statement
The EFP board adopted a new Mission Statement.
“The Ecumenical Food Pantry supports those in the greater Harrisburg area who are experiencing food insecurity, primarily through provision of emergency food assistance”.
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Paulus Mt. Airy Orchard Blueberry Festival
On Saturday July 17 Paulus Mt. Airy Orchard hosted its summer Blueberry Festival and the EFP was the designated non profit organization to receive a portion of the sales. Several EFP volunteers made pancakes, served breakfast, and provided EFP information to hundreds of attendees. $2400 was raised for the EFP! We are very appreciative of the support of Paulus Mt. Airy Orchard. In return the EFP encourages all volunteers to support this business. Address below.
Paulus Orchards is located at 522 E. Mt. Airy Road, Dillsburg PA 17019, a short distance from Ski Roundtop.
Outreach
Members of the EFP Board visited Hamilton Health Center on Sept 22 to share information about the EFP and to offer sample food bags to 75 people. All in an effort to raise awareness in the community about the EFP. In addition, laundromats in the city were visited to post EFP information. More events are being discussed with Hamilton Health.
Executive Director
Deidre Lenker has been very active the last few months in community outreach, grant seeking, and general operations. Already seeing an upward trend in clients and community recognition and support.
Welcome Returning Volunteers!
Our client numbers have been trending upward recently and EFP volunteers have been working hard to meet the demand. There is always plenty to do to help the EFP. It is amazing to see so many proactive volunteers each day. We are happy to see many new volunteers but also very glad to see returning volunteers. EFP is very thankful for all the volunteers who help keep us focused on the mission to serve those in need. See link below for opportunities to serve.
https://www.timetosignup.com/ecumenfoodpantryhbg/
We are going to be 50!
The EFP was established in response to the damage caused by Tropical Agnes in the summer of 1972. In 2022, we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary! Stay tuned for further details.
Events
On October 23 we will host the semi annual Friends of Midtown/EFP Personal Item Drive from 9-1. This event has been very successful in the past. We thank FOM for all the support! On November 6 we will be working with Paxtang Lions on a Food Drive. Historically a significant amount of food is generously donated that day. It is amazing to see volunteers step up and help with these events.
Potato Drop
Our clients often share that they would appreciate receiving more fresh (or frozen) produce. Potatoes are a popular option, in part because they store well. On November 13, we will be receiving hundreds of pounds of potatoes through the generous Grace United Methodist Church Potato Drop operation. We will need several volunteers to assist with unloading the potatoes that day and packing them into 5-pound bags. Please use the volunteer link above to sign up!
Golf Tournament
The 2nd Annual EFP Harvest Golf Tournament will be held May 16, 2022 at Dauphin Highlands Golf Course. Last year’s event was very successful as it sold out. Looking for an even greater event is 2022. Stay tuned for further details.
Saturday Hours
Recent feedback from the community is that alternate hours would be beneficial. As a result, we are now open the 3rd Saturday of each month. We will be open October 16, November 20, and December 18. All 9:30-12:30.
Strategic Planning
As you may be aware, the EFP board is engaging in a strategic planning effort to serve as a high level roadmap for our future. If you would like to learn more about our strategic planning process and resultant priorities, you are welcome to attend a discussion session on October 20 at 1pm in the Gathering space at the church. Please email Amy Foerstrer (amycfoerster@gmail.com) if you plan to attend or if you have any questions but are unable to attend.
New EFP Board Members
We have added two new members to our board. Judy Baumgardner and Wendy Fellinger have been accepted to the EFP Board. Both provide a strong background and sincere desire to serve those in need. We are very fortunate to have them as part of the leadership team.
If you are interested in an opportunity on the EFP board please contact Phil Mackey pmackey58@gmail.com to discuss possibilities.
EFP Shirt sales
Solve the dilemma of what to wear on a volunteer day. We have a limited supply of cotton, short sleeve t-shirts and golf shirts for sale, with the possibility of ordering more if they are in demand. T-shirts are $15 and golf shirts are $28. If interested, please email Amy Foerster at amycfoerster@gmail.com with your size preferences to check on availability.
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Paper Bags Needed
The EFP is getting greener and moving away from single use plastic grocery bags for personal care and cold food items. We welcome donations of brown bags in all sizes, particularly handled ones, if they are clean and not torn. We also need reusable cloth or mesh bags, biodegradable bags,and unwanted backpacks. Clients find them handy to transport food home especially if public transportation is utilized.
Follow us, like us, check us out!
The EFP is on Facebook: The Ecumenical Food Pantry Harrisburg – @ecumenicalfoodpantryharrisburg
Instagram: Ecumenical Food Pantry (Hbg) – e_food_pantry
Website: www.efoodpantry.org
